Lamb, beer & honey

This recipe is inspired by a similar dish I ate in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, though I’ve tweaked it a little to turn it into an easy stew for home cooks. It makes a feature of two quintessentially Lithuanian flavours – honey and beer – which together complement the lamb incredibly well. It’s even better reheated the next day, so don’t hesitate to double up on quantities. SERVES 6

30g butter

2 large onions, finely diced 1tsp vegetable oil

800g lamb shoulder, cut

into 5cm cubes

2tsp apple cider vinegar 375ml spiced pale ale beer 2tbsp honey

6 potatoes (approx 600g) 2 chicory heads, leaves

separated

1½tbsp chopped chives

1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 140°C fan/gas mark 3. Melt the butter in a large heavy-based ovenproof pot or casserole dish over a medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 10-12min until golden brown and sweet, then remove from the pot and set aside.

2 Increase the heat to medium-high, add the oil and lamb pieces to the pot. Brown the lamb for a few minutes on all sides. Season well, then return the onion to the pot together with the vinegar, beer and honey.

3 Cover the pot with foil, then top with the lid and braise in the oven for 2hr, until the meat is tender and falling apart and the liquid has reduced to a thick, sticky sauce.

4 While the lamb is cooking, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for approximately 20min, until tender. Drain and set aside.

5 When ready to serve, add the chicory leaves to a large bowl, spoon over 2tbsp of the sauce from the braised lamb and toss together gently. Add the chopped chives and divide among six bowls.

6 Place a potato in the centre of each bowl and press down on it with a fork to create natural cracks on the top, then spoon over a little more of the sauce so the potato absorbs it. Top with the meat and serve.